A chinchillas is a rodent. It lives in the mountains of South America. It makes its home in cracks or holes in rocks. The chinchilla lives in large groups called colonies.
The chinchilla is a small animal. It is about one foot long. It has large black eyes, big ears, a blue-gray and brown coat and a bushy tail. Its fur is very soft and about an inch long. The fur coat keeps the chinchilla warm in the cold mountain temperatures. It has short front feet with sharp nails and strong back legs. It can jump 6 feet straight up!
A chinchilla eats grass, seeds, fruits and tree bark. Sometimes it eats insects. The chinchilla has two long front teeth for gnawing food. It sits back on its hind legs and holds the food in its paws. It does not drink a lot of water. A newborn chinchilla eats plants and drinks its mother's milk.
The chinchilla is rare in the wild. It lives 8 to 10 years. Owls, foxes and other mountain animals hunt it. On farms it can live up to 20 years. The chinchilla is raised on farms for its valuable soft fur.
